The Farm Garden.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 10 December 1913, Page 2

The Farm Garden.

(By W. H. Taylorj

Parsnips and Carrots.—lf the main supply be not provided for it is now time to get it done. There is plenty of time yet for them to. develop good roots, but there should be no further delay, for it must be remembered that the surface soil is likely to get dry before long, and a good take may be difficult to obtain. The plan to pursue is to sow the seed- very thinly. It is safe to do this now, for 'the soil being warm extra heavy rain is not likely to do harm, and slugs should not now be troublesome. Do any thinning that is required without delay, and keep the surface soil loose by cultivation.

Pickling-onions.-^Many people use for this purpose the small bulbs usually found in ordinary crops that have not been well thinned. At best this is but a makeshift plan, for,, besides being of uneven sizes, they have not the right texture of flesh. Proper pickling.bulbs are to be secured by sowing from now to the end of this month seed of pickling kinds on a rather poor piece pf gi-ound in a sunny position. Dig the ground carefully, break it up fine, tread firm, •draw shallow drills about 12in. apart, leaving just room enough for the hoe to work between, Sow the seed thick* ly and do not thin the plants.; They will ripen in Marph, and should allow of selection in sizes, ranging from the size o| a hazel-nut. The bulbs are silvery-white, even in shape, and more tender in flesh that the small ones first referred to. The tender texture enables them to absorb vinegar—an important point in piekliner-omons. Peas. —In the ordinary course two sowings will be made during the next four weeks.

French Beans.—One sowing each month is sufficient if the crop be closely gathered. Make sure that this is done, for growth stops immediately seed is formed. Any one wishing to save seed from desirable kinds should set aside a row or a Dart of a. row for that purpose, and gather none from it, thus allowing tho first formed to grow to maturity. Seed is thereby secured from the plants in their fullest vigor. Ked cabbages may be planted now. In sunny places planting may be delayed for several weeks yet, In other than favoured places, however, it is not safe, The -red cabbage is less hardy than the green varieties, and will not heart in cold weather.

Beet.—Sow seed of the red varieties at once. In. ordinary circumstances this is about the best time for all but the turnip-rooted sorts. These' are earlier for use in summer. The longrooted varieties are best for winter use but if sown too- eaily they grow into an unwieldy size. Un tho o:her hand, if left till much later the soil is likely to get too dry to enable them to reach a useful sizo. Like all other ro6t crops, beet should not be grown on land freshly manured with stable manure, for it is liable to fork and form side roots. When the former happens they arc useless. In the latter casetbey are rendered coarse. The beat soil is that which was well manured last season for some other crop. The manure remaining is now only humus, and in that form it helps to keep the soil open and ioirns a cougeuial rooting-medium. Cabbages and Cauliflowers.—Where

tiie demand for vegetables is extensive a patch of cabbages put out during the uext four Aveeka will be found very useful during the latter part of summer and autuinu, though perhaps not required by an ordinary household when v proper supply of other seasonable things is provided for. In every case cauliflowers bhould be planted between now and Christma.s, Deing one of the most valuable crops, coming in as they do when peas and beans are past and before broccoli are ready. A variety of Autumn Giant type should be planted. This is the true place for those varieties, and that is the titvo when they have tho highest value.

Flicking out l'lautss. - UrocooH and Brussels sprouts must be well grown in order to give the best results. Stocky ■well rooted placts are secured by timely pricking out the \oung plants from the feed-bod into a patch of wellpulverized soil. Pu* them .out about 4 iv. <-r s.in. ;ipa:t. Here they strengthen ami develop the lower leaves which are often lo.st.il: left crowded in the soed-bed. It may b«'asked wJiatreason there is for sowing the seed so thickly, and why the plants.should not bo given more room to savo the pricking-out. Well, there is another reauoii why the pricking-out is better and worth doing iv all casos -it breaks the taproot, and induces the formation of a dense mat of feeding-roots.. This enables the plants to make a quick ■recovery when finally planted. Sow seed-of Savoy cabbage at once. The custom of raising this earlier is a mistaken one. The Savoy is coarse in ilavour until cold weather prevails. It is essentially a winter.vegetable. Capsicums and chillies ry.ay ho sown at in tho upon ground in such' parts us aro warm enough to ripon the fruit. They are nut suitable for cold places, tho least frost being fatal to them.